Gulfstream Today 3.20.24: Curlin Florida Derby (G1) Still Possible for Victory Avenue

Post Position Draw for $1 Million Derby Saturday

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Victory Avenue, the precocious 3-year-old maiden trained by Gustavo Delgado who was scratched the morning of the $400,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2), will be entered Saturday in the March 30 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) if all goes well during a planned breeze later this week at Gulfstream Park.

“We’ll look to see how he breezes Friday or Saturday, and if all goes well our first option is to stay home [at Gulfstream],” said Ramiro Restrepo, who represents part of Victory Avenue’s ownership group. “We’re also nominated to the Wood (G2, April 6 at Aqueduct), or we could pack up and wait for Churchill Downs or Keeneland and a maiden race. He’s a wickedly, wickedly talented horse, so we want to do what’s right, so we’ll monitor him as we go along.”

A high energy horse who is still a bit immature, Victory Avenue was scratched from the March 2 Fountain of Youth when he was unusually quiet the morning of the race. The son of champion Arrogate has raced only once, finishing second in his debut Jan. 27 behind Speak Easy, who was also scratched from the Fountain of Youth when he ran off, dropped his jockey, and hit the rail shortly after the post parade.

The $1 million Florida Derby, which has produced 25 Kentucky Derby winners, is expected to draw a quality field including 2-year-old champion Fierceness, a troubled third in the Feb. 3 Holy Bull (G3), Hades, the upset winner of the Holy Bull, and the second, third and fourth place finishers from the Fountain of Youth – Le Dom Bro, Frankie’s Empire and Real Macho.

The post position draw for the Derby will take place Saturday afternoon at approximately 1:50 p.m. The draw can be seen live at GulfstreamPark.com.

Thursday’s Rainbow 6 Pool Estimated at $525,000, Super Hi-5 Carryover $7,000

Thursday’s 20-cent Rainbow 6 pool is expected to grow to an estimated $525,000 at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager went unsolved for a 11th racing day following a March 3 mandatory payout.

The Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 4-9, anchored by a $92,000 optional claiming allowance in Race 9. Graded-stakes winner English Bee the Graham Motion-trained 2-1 morning-line favorite, returns in the 7 ½-furlong turf event for older horses, off a very troubled 2024 debut. Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the mount.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

There will also be a carryover of $7,021 in the Super Hi-5.

Who’s Hot: Miguel Vasquez doubled with bookend wins, scoring aboard Maclin ($12.40) in Race 1 and Acquired Taste ($8) in Race 8.

About The Stronach Group and 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The Stronach Group’s 1/ST business (pronounced “First”) is North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering company and includes the 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY and 1/ST EXPERIENCE businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group’s continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class racing operations and gaming offerings at the company’s premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, Gulfstream Park West and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course – home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is the operating group for 1/ST’s media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and XBTV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is racing’s largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group’s commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred racing on and off the track. The Stronach Group’s TSG Properties is responsible for the development of the company’s live, play and work communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). For more information, please email david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com, visit www.1st.com or follow @1ST_racing on Twitter or @1stracing on Instagram and Facebook.